A review by xcameronfx
The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The atmosphere of this book was quite engaging, but I felt disconnected to the characters and often found myself lagging during the boarders’ long, philosophical, misogynistic conversations. It may be due to the translation rather than the book itself — there were several instances where it was clear that something hadn’t been fully explained in the translation, which led to some confusion. I enjoyed the unusual perspective of this book, even if it was a bit hard to follow at times, and I liked the reveal about Mieczysław‘s history. Definitely tense and unsettling, but not my favorite horror novel I’ve read this year.
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